tip

1 of 10

verb (1)

ˈtip 

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: overturn, upset

—usually used with over

2

a

: cant entry 3, tilt

b

: to raise and tilt forward in salute

tipped his hat

intransitive verb

1

: to become tipped : topple

2

: lean, slant

tip

2 of 10

noun (1)

1

: the act or an instance of tipping : tilt

2

chiefly British : a place for depositing something (such as rubbish) by dumping

tip

3 of 10

noun (2)

1

: the usually pointed end of something

a pencil tip

2

: a small piece or part serving as an end, cap, or point

tipped

ˈtipt 

adjective

tip

4 of 10

verb (2)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

a

: to furnish with a tip

b(1)

: to cover or adorn the tip of

(2)

: to blend (furs) for improved appearance by brushing the tips of the hair with dye

2

: to affix (an insert) in a book

—often used with in

3

: to remove the ends of

tip raspberries

tip

5 of 10

verb (3)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: to strike lightly : tap

2

: to give (something, such as a baseball) a glancing blow

intransitive verb

: tiptoe

tip

6 of 10

noun (3)

: a light touch or blow

tip

7 of 10

noun (4)

1

: a piece of advice or expert or authoritative information

2

: a piece of advance or confidential information given by one thought to have access to special or inside sources

tip

8 of 10

verb (4)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: to impart a piece of information or advice about or to

—often used with off

2

chiefly British : to mention as a likely candidate, prospective winner, or profitable investment : tout sense 1

tip

9 of 10

verb (5)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: to give a gratuity to

2

: give, present

this crew has tipped you the black spot

—R. L. Stevenson

intransitive verb

: to bestow a gratuity

tip

10 of 10

noun (5)

: a gift or a sum of money tendered for a service performed or anticipated : gratuity

Phrases

tip the scales

1

: to register weight

tips the scales at 285 pounds

2

: to shift the balance of power or influence

tipped the scales in favor of a declaration of war

—S. F. Bemis

on the tip of one's tongue

1

: about to be uttered

it was on the tip of my tongue to say exactly what I thought

2

: just eluding recall

tip one's hand or less commonly tip one's mitt

: to declare one's intentions or reveal one's opinions or resources

the Justice Department wouldn't tip its hand by saying what its next move … would be

—Newsweek

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• angle
• cant
• cock
• heel
• incline
• lean
• list
• pitch
• slant
• slope
• tilt

Noun (1)

• angling
• bend
• cock
• inclination
• list
• tilt

Noun (2)

• apex
• cusp
• end
• nib
• nose
• pike
• point

Noun (4)

• hint
• lead
• pointer

Noun (5)

• gratuity
• perquisite

Examples of tip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For your green thumb, find tips for saving money on houseplants and how to keep your plants alive longer. —Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024

California won’t experience totality, but there’s still plenty to see. April 8, 2024 2 Here are some tips for taking photos of Monday’s upcoming solar eclipse without ruining your smartphone. —Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Lance Bass, 44, shared a PSA on Instagram ahead of Monday's solar eclipse providing safety tips and stressing the importance of wearing eclipse glasses, while making plenty of NSYNC references along the way. —USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

Have a tip for a story in one of Indianapolis’ neighborhoods? —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Apr. 2024

Police have asked that anyone with information regarding the homicide contact the department by calling the tip line at [phone]. —Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 8 Apr. 2024

Anyone with additional information related to the case is asked to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers at [phone] or submit a tip via P3tips online at http://p3tips.com/409 or anonymously through the mobile application. —Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024

The national championship tips off at 3 P.M. ET on Sunday. —Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024

The women’s Final Four tips off tonight when NC State takes on South Carolina at 7:00 p.m. —Anne M. Peterson and Doug Feinberg, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024

Verb

But the controversy isn’t over — Becton’s office has tipped off the Contra Costa County Grand Jury, which could decide to take further action in secret proceedings. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024

Villegas had come under suspicion in 2018 and was placed under surveillance by Internal Affairs, who were tipped off by former police commissioner Steve Soboroff that Villegas may have been seen driving under the influence. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024

Mingling with patrons in the Flight Deck area tips things off and a seemingly endless loop through the Founder’s level triggers the crowd. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2024

The Kremlin meddled in the 2016 election, attempting to tip the scales in Trump’s favor. —Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 22 Mar. 2024

The First Four features four No. 16 seeds and four No. 10 seeds competing for a place at March Madness when the tournament tips off on Thursday. —Jacob Lev, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024

White men tipped him with quarters and nickels, dropped into a spittoon. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024

Chalamet is also tipped to be singing in character as Dylan in the film after his great musical performance in Wonka, according to director James Mangold. —Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

The challenge for Biden in this conflict has been understood as one of balance, of not tipping too far either toward the pro-Israeli center or toward the pro-Palestinian left, and thus alienating the other. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English

Noun (2)

Middle English; akin to Middle High German zipf tip, Old English tæppa tap — more at tap entry 3

Verb (2)

Middle English tipped having a tip, from tip entry 3

Noun (3)

Middle English tippe; akin to Low German tippen to tap

Noun (4)

origin unknown

Verb (5)

perhaps from tip entry 5

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (3)

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (4)

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (5)

circa 1610, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun (5)

1755, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tip

• hot tip
• foul tip
• shift/tip/tilt the balance of power
• tip one's cap/hat
• the tip of the iceberg
• tip-top
• white-tip reef shark
• tip over
• white-tip shark
• filter tip
• Q-tip
• tip (someone) the wink
• felt-tip pen
• tip of the iceberg
• felt-tip
• tip the balance
• tip up
• tip the scales at
• tip-off
• tip-in
• rubbish tip/dump
• wing tip
• tip one's mitt
• tip one's hand
• tip the scales
• on the tip of one's tongue

Video

Some Odd Words with ISMO: "People Tipping"

Comedian ISMO on the complexities of the word 'tip'

Kids Definition

tip

1 of 10 verb

ˈtip 

tipped; tipping

1

: turn over sense 1a

tipped over a glass

2

: to bend from a straight position : slant

the bench tips on the uneven floor

3

: to raise and tilt forward

tipped his hat

tip

2 of 10 noun

: the act or an instance of tipping

a tip of the hat

tip

3 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

1

: to attach a tip to

2

: to cover or decorate the tip of

tip

4 of 10 noun

1

: the pointed or rounded end of something

2

: a small piece or part serving as an end, cap, or point

tipped

ˈtipt 

adjective

tip

5 of 10 noun

: a light touch or blow : tap

tip

6 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

: to hit a baseball so that it glances off the bat

tip

7 of 10 noun

: a piece of useful or secret information given

got a tip on how to prepare for the test

tip

8 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

: to give useful or secret information to

someone must have tipped them off

tip

9 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

: to give a tip to

tip the waiter

tip

10 of 10 noun

: a small sum of money given for a service

Etymology

Verb

Middle English tipen "to upset, overturn"

Noun

Middle English tip "a pointed end"

Noun

Middle English tippe "a light touch or blow"

Noun

origin unknown

Verb

probably derived from earlier tip (verb) "to strike lightly"

Legal Definition

tip

1 of 2 noun

1

: information provided to the police or authorities regarding crime

2

: a piece of inside information especially of advantage in securities trading

tip

2 of 2 transitive verb

tipped; tipping

: to provide a tip to or about

—often used with off

tipper noun